Ice box for beer barrel

ABSTRACT

An insulated barrel shape structure for housing and suspending a beer barrel in the horizontal position surrounded by ice. The rear circular cover of the device is removable for the installation and replacement of the beer barrel and surrounding ice. The circular front cover bears a circular opening for the spigot of the beer barrel. The structure provides for an air-seal between the sides and bottom of the housed beer barrel and the iced refrigerated area of the structure.

Unite States Patent 1191 Yanes I Feb. 5, 1974 ICE BOX FOR BEER BARREL 227,450 5/1880 Schwartz 62/396 299,420 5/1884 62/396 [75] Inventor. Ralph S. Yan es, Burbank, Calif. 1,957,199 5/1934 62/396 [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization, 217921692 5/ 1957 62/400 New York, a part interest 3,178,896 4/1965 Sandsto 62/389 [22] Filed: July 1 1972 Primary ExaminerWilliam J. Wye [21] Appl NO; 276,838 Attorney, Agent, or Firml loward l. Podell 152 US. Cl 62/396, 62/389, 62/398, [57] ABSTRACT 62/400 An insulated barrel shape structure for housing and 51 Int. Cl. .1 36711 5/62 suspending a beer barrel in the hfiZma1 Position [58] Field of searchum 62/398, 400, 399 459, 389 rounded by ice. The rear circular cover of the device 62/529, 396 463, 464, 338; 165/80, is removable for the installation and replacement of the beer barrel and surrounding ice. The circular front [56] References Cited cover bears a circular opening for the spigot of the beer barrel. The structure provides for an air-seal be- UNITEI? STA TES PATENTS 1 tween the sides and bottom of the housed beer barrel 5 2i: and the iced refrigerated area of the structure. o 192,539 6/1877 Staugler 62/398 1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures ICE BOX FOR BEER BARREL This invention relates to a portable refrigerator for the housing of a beer barrel suspended in a horizontal dispensing position, and particularly one in which the refrigeration is accomplished by the packing of ice about the housed beer barrel.

An advantage of this invention is that the surrounding refrigeration structure contains an opening to permit the spigot of the beer barrel to protrude through the front cover of the refrigeration structure, but edges of the iced area surrounding the sides and bottom of the beer barrel are sealed to prevent the leakage of cold air to outside the refrigerator.

A further advantage of this apparatus is that it is portable, since it does not require attachment to either an electrical power supply or a source of water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the refrigerator unit;

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional side view of the unit;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the front lid;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the back lid;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the front lid from the inside;

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of the unit housing a beer barrel;

FIG. 7 is a rear sectional view of the unit housing a beer barrel; and

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the unit installed on support legs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. l-8 illustrate the refrigerator 10 which houses a barrel of beer in a horizontal position, with the spigot 14 of the beer barre] 15 protruding through the front circular opening 13 of the front lid 11 of the refrigerator 10.

The barrel shaped structure of the refrigerator 10 is maintained secure in the horizontal position by legs which are formed from concave shaped strips of material to fit the barrel exterior of the refrigerator 10, and

joined by a dowel 24.

The interior space 25 surrounding the beer barrel 15 may be filled with ice, since the beer barrel 15 is suspended by a circular rim l8 affixed to the interior of the front of the structure, and suspended by spring fingers 22 which are fixed to the interior of rear lid 21.

The cold air of the interior of the refrigerator 10 is prevented from leaking about the front opening 13 in the front lid 11 by a rim 17 of flexible sealing material which is fitted to rim 18 in which the forward section of the barrel nests. As shown in FIG. 5 this flexible sealing material 17 may also be fastened to the interior of the front disc about opening 13. Rear lid 21 fits snugly against both the barrel l5 and internal rim l9 afiixed to the interior of the rear section of the refrigerator l0, and a handle 23 may be fastened to the exterior of the rear lid 21. A plug may be inserted in drain hole 26, when it is desired to prevent water of melted ice from dripping out of the structure.

The structure 10 may be lifted by means of handle 16.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A barrel-shaped refrigerator for the cooling of a suspended barrel of beer, said refrigerator maintaining the beer barrel in the horizontal position and permitting the spigot from the front of the beer barrel to protrude through an opening in the front lid of the refrigerator,

with means to suspend the beer barrel from the front and the rear sections of the barrel so as to leave most of the side area of the beer barrel untouched by the refrigerator structure so that said sides of the barrel may be readily cooled by contact with ice which may be placed in the space between the beer barrel and the refrigerator housing, in which the back circular lid of the refrigerator is removable for the installation or removal of the beer barrel to be cooled, with spring members fastened to the internal face of the back circular lid acting to suspend the said beer barrel, when the back circular lid is installed in the engaging back circular rim of the refrigerator. 

1. A barrel-shaped refrigerator for the cooling of a suspended barrel of beer, said refrigerator maintaining the beer barrel in the horizontal position and permitting the spigot from the front of the beer barrel to protrude through an opening in the front lid of the refrigerator, with means to suspend the beer barrel from the front and the rear sections of the barrel so as to leave most of the side area of the beer barrel untouched by the refrigerator structure so that said sides of the barrel may be readily cooled by contact with ice which may be placed in the space between the beer barrel and the refrigerator housing, in which the back circular lid of the refrigerator is removable for the installation or removal of the beer barrel to be cooled, with spring members fastened to the internal face of the back circular lid acting to suspend the said beer barrel, when the back circular lid is installed in the engaging back circular rim of the refrigerator. 